25 June 2007

I felt the same way about rohlik

Pity the Czech soldier. Not only are they sent to such un-scenic locations as Kosovo and Afghanistan but they have also been systematically forced to eat sliced white bread. Radio Prague reports:

An army spokesperson told the paper that while on missions Czech soldiers were forced to eat American sliced white bread and missed their own Czech wheat-rye bread. Researchers at the Brno University of Defence said the lack of Czech bread caused psychological problems for soldiers.

Thank heavens that help is on the way:

The Czech Army is to introduce field bakeries to make bread for its soldiers in Afghanistan and Kosovo, Hospodarske noviny reported.

You may be scoffing about bread--or lack of a certain type thereof--causing psychological problems, but let me tell you, it's no laughing matter. Every time I was forced to eat another rohlik, I died a little inside. Oh sure, the Czechs are high and mighty about their hearty wheat-rye bread, but the dirty little secret is that Czechs looooooooooove their white-bread rohliky. Ever watched somebody dip a cigar-shaped, tasteless, crust-shedding rohlik in yogurt for breakfast? I shudder just thinking about it.

Don't get me wrong. I've got no quarrel with probably 95 percent of Czech food. In fact, I love Svickova na smetane (a sort of sliced beef roast with a thick, creamy sauce topped with cranberries, lemon and whipped cream) Vepro-Knedlo-Zelo (roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) and Smazeny Syr (deep fried cheese--what's not to like?). In fact, if I flew to Prague today, one of the first things I'd do would be to go to U Medviku and get their topinky (Czech wheat-rye bread fried, probably in lard, served with fresh garlic and blue cheese). But I have no love for the rohlik. Of course, I also have no love for American white sliced bread. Any substance that can be compacted from a loaf shape into a small ball without considerable difficulty should not be ingested by humans.

Comments

Pity the Czech soldier. Not only are they sent to such un-scenic locations as Kosovo and Afghanistan but they have also been systematically forced to eat sliced white bread. Radio Prague reports:

An army spokesperson told the paper that while on missions Czech soldiers were forced to eat American sliced white bread and missed their own Czech wheat-rye bread. Researchers at the Brno University of Defence said the lack of Czech bread caused psychological problems for soldiers.

Thank heavens that help is on the way:

The Czech Army is to introduce field bakeries to make bread for its soldiers in Afghanistan and Kosovo, Hospodarske noviny reported.

You may be scoffing about bread--or lack of a certain type thereof--causing psychological problems, but let me tell you, it's no laughing matter. Every time I was forced to eat another rohlik, I died a little inside. Oh sure, the Czechs are high and mighty about their hearty wheat-rye bread, but the dirty little secret is that Czechs looooooooooove their white-bread rohliky. Ever watched somebody dip a cigar-shaped, tasteless, crust-shedding rohlik in yogurt for breakfast? I shudder just thinking about it.

Don't get me wrong. I've got no quarrel with probably 95 percent of Czech food. In fact, I love Svickova na smetane (a sort of sliced beef roast with a thick, creamy sauce topped with cranberries, lemon and whipped cream) Vepro-Knedlo-Zelo (roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) and Smazeny Syr (deep fried cheese--what's not to like?). In fact, if I flew to Prague today, one of the first things I'd do would be to go to U Medviku and get their topinky (Czech wheat-rye bread fried, probably in lard, served with fresh garlic and blue cheese). But I have no love for the rohlik. Of course, I also have no love for American white sliced bread. Any substance that can be compacted from a loaf shape into a small ball without considerable difficulty should not be ingested by humans.